Bleach Mythologies: Sui Feng
by SoldierG65434-2
Summary: After the Winter War, the Feng House takes drastic action to deal with a gravely wounded Sui-Feng.
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER:** The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I'll give a more in-depth Author's Note on this next update because saying too much now will make this already short prologue completely irrelevant, but suffice to say that if you recognize the naming convention for this fic or the last two words here, you know exactly what to expect.

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><p>The creaks of the hinges as the door was opened were like fingers, choking the silence of the calm spring night. Seven shadowy figures shuffled thought the moonlit room, seeking out their seats around the singular table that sat in the middle of the small cabin. One of them produced a match from their robe and lit the candle in the middle of the table, illuminating the room and sending curls of smoke up into the air to collect in a sooty spot on the ceiling.<p>

They were all men. Fathers, brothers, uncles, scarred warriors and bent old men. All wore the same solemn expression.

"Have you all had the proper time to consider the proposal?" The eldest among them spoke, his mouth almost completely obscured by his long white moustache and beard. The question was asked with the gravity of life and death. Nods and glances were exchanged around the table.

"My mind remains unchanged." A bald man and uncle spoke, arms folded across his chest. "I cannot accept this course of action."

"Sui-Feng is the greatest warrior our Clan has ever known and look at the condition she's in!" An older man spoke, his hair having begun to gray. His was the proposition they were there to deiced on. "...the rise of these hybrid Arrancar and Vizards, the Shihouins are in shambles...We _must_ do this to remain relevant!"

"I have heard talks that the Shihouins have begun trying to reinstate Yoruichi as the head of the clan now that she has returned and cleared her name." Yet another spoke out.

"All the more reason why we must act now." The graying man stated firmly. "Now is our chance to rise above being a vassal clan and claim our one spot as a Great Nobel House."

"But at what cost?" The bald man asked. "Where will it stop? You only take the gravely wounded? Then stage a training accident. Call every wound mortal."

"You're paranoid." The graying man retorted, the low light creating deep shadows in the creases of is visibly annoyed face. "You fear change."

"I fear success." The bald man shot back. "If this plan is successful, then it will not stop with the infirm. I will not sacrifice my sons to this madness for the sake of relevancy. If you go through with this, I will renounce my Feng blood."

"That is enough." The elder halted the argument. "It shall be put to a vote. All of those in favor?" Four of the men raised their hands, with the man with graying hair's hand held the highest. "Opposed?" The remaining three raised their hands, the bald man thrusting his arm skyward forcefully.

"Then it is decided. The Feng house shall move forward with the Cyber Initiative."


	2. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:** The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

As some of you have pointed out, the primary impetus behind this fic is Mortal Kombat. The reason this is not listed as a crossover is because characters and locations from Mortal Kombat will not be appearing in this fic. All that I am borrowing from that universe are the concept of the Cyber-Initiative (and even that isn't directly 1:1) and the aesthetics of one of the arenas. However, if enough of you feel that it's appropriate, I will change the categorization of this fic accordingly.

Also, I want to be upfront about this; This fic is not meant to be taken seriously. Though it's probably not self-evident yet, the gravitas and sincerity of the story telling are such as to highlight the insanity of the whole concept. I, at least, find the concept of Cyber-Sui hilarious and I like my jokes told with a straight face.

Also, if you've come here looking for shippy stuff, you will be disappointed.

I've been pretty consistently spelling "Gotei" wrong this whole time. Shame on you all for not catching it.

Do not adjust your monitor. This is my first uninterrupted chapter. In fact, this may be my first uninterrupted anything.

New drinking game! Every time Sui-Feng goes to see Unohana in one of my fics you take a shot.

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><p>Sui-Feng's breath hitched as the blow landed. It was a flat palm strike, hitting squarely in the sternum.<p>

The attack was delivered by the Third Seat of the Second Division and was received by an officer of the Keiratai. Sui-Feng could feel her chest tighten as she watched the officer crumple. It was shameful.

"This isn't good," Sui-Feng's voice was thin, airy, and strained. He remaining arm was resting on the railing of the causeway that overlooked sparring match she was watching, supporting her.

"Huh?" Omeada turned his attention to Sui-Feng. He was standing next to her observing the fight, his hands and mouth conspicuously devoid of rice crackers.

"The men aren't progressing at the rate I need them to." Sui-Feng forced the words out of her mouth, her voice falling off as she spoke. The sentence was followed by a few shallow breaths.

"Is there anything I can do?" Omeada asked with a sincerity that never failed to surprise Sui-Feng no matter how many times she heard it.

"No," Sui-Feng shook her head. "Your skills in shunpo are respectable and you've done a commendable job in training the men in that," She paused for a breath. "But your kendo and hakuda skills are still lacking. It's because I can't train them."

"Should I call for the next two to be observed?" He replied, offering no rebuttal to his Captain's criticism.

"No," Sui-Feng's response came out as more of a strained wheeze. "I'm done for today." She had only overseen four matches. "I am trusting you to maintain the regiment I detailed."

"Yes, Taicho," Omeada saluted and watched as Sui-Feng turned and leave, her steps slow and heavy.

There was a time when Sui-Feng's mere presence inspired fear. She was the commander of the two most feared and secretive Division in all of the Seireitei. The mere thought of disobedience to the Gotei 13 was enough to bring her wrath down upon you. No matter the Division, all cleared the way as she passed though the Seiretei's causeways and ceased their conversations. She was treated with the reverence and respect that her station demanded.

Now, the path was still cleared, but it was to make her passage easier. People avoided eye contact as not to risk staring. The silence that descended was not of reverence, but that of pity. It disgusted her.

It was easy to forget just how large the Seireitei actually was. Even with all the sekkiseki stone, bounding from rooftop to rooftop was enough to traverse the miles of complex paths in little time with relative ease. On foot, the distances between places can become confusing and exhausting.

"Oh! Good afternoon Sui-Feng." She had been so focused on the path in front of her that she failed to notice Ukitake come up next to her. She didn't even have the energy to mentally berate herself.

"It's too hot." She replied to the greeting. The heat had never bothered her before, but her robes and uniform were heavy and stifling now.

"Yes, it seems that time of year is upon us again," Ukitake nodded, falling in step with the woman. "The Research Institute says that it's not likely to get as hot as last year, so we won't have to be dealing with as many cases of heat exhaustion." Something in that sentence elicited a sharp glare from Sui-Feng. Undeterred by the look or the silence that followed it, Ukitake continued to walk next to her.

"What brings you out this way?" Ukitake asked. "We don't often see members of the Second out in these parts."

"I'm on my way to speak to Unohana." Sui-Feng replied. "And this is the shortest way to the Fourth."

"Yes, she seems to be quite popular these days." Ukitake said thoughtfully.

"Is there a purpose to this?" Sui-Feng stopped and looked at Ukitake. "I'll have you know that I am quite capable of finding my own way. Your escort is far from necessary."

"I assure you I didn't mean any offence." He held up his hands defensively. "I just say you and thought it would be nice to say hello." Without a word, Sui-Feng began to turn and walk away. "Well actually, there was something I wanted to give you." She turned around to find a small pouch stretched out towards her.

"What is it?" She asked cautiously.

"It's a blend of tea I discovered." He answered. "I find it helps me when I going through one of my spells."

"What does it do?" She asked curiously.

"It's just tea." Ukitake replied with a short laugh. "I just find its taste and smell soothing and was thinking you might as well." Sui-Feng hesitated for a long moment before finally relenting and accepting the gift. To have sunk so low as to garner Ukitake's pity. Truly pathetic.

Ukitake's pestering did serve to distract Sui-Feng from her arduous journey. Shortly after she rid herself of the man she arrived at her destination. She hurried her pace and quickly sheltered herself from the sun in the infirmary's air conditioning. The building she entered was the Fourth Division's clinic, designated for those with ailments and injures that were either minor or non-emergencies.

"Hello Taicho." Sui-Feng was greeted with casual familiarity by the clerk at the front desk, a tall boy whose dark hair was in desperate need of washing.

"Is Unohana available?" Sui-Feng asked, a far cry from her past tone with those of lower rank.

"I'm sorry, but she at the emergency ward tending to some patients." He sounded sincere in his apology. "I'll send someone to tell her that you want to see her, if you don't mind waiting."

"That's fine," She turned and walked to the attached waiting room. Truthfully, she was thankful for the opportunity to sit. Thankfully, there was no one else in the waiting room, which spared her the awkward looks and questions. On the table next to her was a copy of that month's _Seireitei Communication_, devoid of any contributions from her. Sui-Feng grabbed it and began to flip though its articles looking for a distraction to help her pass the time.

After reading nearly the entire magazine, Sui-Feng finally heard a door open. Looking up, she saw Unohana greeting her with her usual warm smile. Sui-Feng let out an audible sigh of relief. The last thing left to read was another excerpt from one of Kyoraku's dreadful romance novels.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Unohana greeted her. "Please follow me." Sui-Feng was lead back to one of the exam rooms, though she did not take a seat on the elevated exam table, opting instead for the chair next to it. "How are you feeling?"

"Not good," Sui-Feng's posture slumped. "Every day I can do less and less."

"You shouldn't be pushing yourself like this." Unohana shook her head sadly. "It pains me to think that you are literally going to work yourself to death."

When Aizen fell those Captain's and Vizards who had been foolhardy enough to confront him, he stated plainly himself that he hadn't intended for the wounds he inflicted upon them to be fatal. However, he failed to take into account the conditions of those he was attacking.

By the time Aizen struck down Sui-Feng, she had already allowed herself to be beaten and bruised in order to gain intelligence on the Arrancar and preformed a field amputation on her arm only to return to the battle and fire her banki twice, even though she can only normally fire it once every three days.

The vast disparity in the reaitsu of Sui-Feng and Aizen resulted in massive damage to the woman. Damage that not even Unohana and all her medical prowess was not able to fully repair. Even with the luxuries of peace, Sui-Feng's condition was still deteriorating and her time dwindling.

"What would you have me do then?" Sui-Feng asked in exasperation. "Sit in my quarters and wait to die? I have to do everything I can to make sure that the Onmistukido stays functioning. There's no one ready to replace me and we can't afford to be headless again."

"I understand," Unohana resigned. "I merely wish that you would take some time to rest. The harder you push yourself, the less time you will have to work with."

"The faster I work, the more time I will have to rest." Sui-Feng retorted.

"If that's how you feel…" Unohana sighed.

"That's why I am here." Sui-Feng affirmed. "Do you have any stronger pain killers?" Silently, Unohana stood and walked to the medicine cabinet on the wall.

"I don't like to use these." Unohana produced a bottle form the cabinet. "But at this point, I think the benefits will outweigh the side effects." They were very powerful painkillers that if used for prolonged periods of time could cause damage to the liver and other organs.

"Thank you." Sui-Feng took the bottle and pocketed it. Unohana retuned Sui-Feng's solemn look with the warmest smile she could offer. Sui-Feng was finally starting to appreciate the small pleasantries she once though meaningless and wastes of time.

By the time Sui-Feng made it back to her quarters, the sun had already started to set. Fortunately, there was nothing pressing that Sui-Feng needed to attend to. Shortly after the Winter War, Nanao offered to take on her clerical work, since she was already used to handling such paperwork due to her own Captain's irresponsibility. Sui-Feng refused at first but finally accepted the offer a few weeks ago.

Tiredly, Sui-Feng shed her haori and tossed it aside, not particularly caring where it landed. She fell back into the chair behind her desk heavily, squirming to remove the bag of tea leaves Ukitake gave her and the new painkillers so she could find some position of relative comfort.

The crushing realization of her condition hit her anew every night. By the time she finished what little work she could accomplish she was always almost completely exhausted. And the pain was nearly excruciating. It wasn't soreness that came from exertion, but the agony of injury. When she was out and about, she could at least partially ignore it and go about her duty. But here, alone with nothing to occupy her mind, it was all she felt.

Not bothering to find some liquid to wash them down, Sui-Feng swallowed two of the pills that Unohana had given her. After a brutal wait that seemed much longer than it actually was, she felt the effects of the medication wash over her. If felt as if a weight was lifted off her chest and her breath came easier as the pain eased.

Sui-Feng turned her attention to the wall clock on her left. It was only a little after eight. Going to sleep now felt too much like admitting defeat. Having nothing else to do, she grabbed the pouch of leaves she had been given and dragged herself to the small cooking annex, where she began to heat a small kettle of water.

Once the water was heated to the optimal temperature, she got out a cup and brewed herself a cup of tea. As much as she hated to admit it, the tea did smell good, though her medicated mind couldn't quite place the scents and flavor. The heat it spread though her body helped relax her, putting her in a state of relative ease.

Sui-Feng felt so good that she decided that it would be best for her to turn in before the state wore of. At the very least she might get a few hours of sound sleep before the pain woke her up in the night.

Surprisingly, the painkillers lasted the night, as it was well into the morning before the aching in her chest woke her up. Pulling herself out of her bed, she forced her feet to move her about, swallowing two more pills and having another cup of the tea before she bathed and dressed.

She exited her quarters full of hope that she might actually accomplish something of meaning only to find a messenger outside her door. What was normally an unremarkable occurrence was made noteworthy by the fact that the messenger was not from any of the Divisions of the Gotei 13 but from her own Clan.

"Good morning, Taicho," The messenger bowed. Military rank superseded all others in the Feng House. "I have a message for you from the Council." He presented an envelope to her and she took it.

"How pressing is this?" Sui-Feng asked.

"They would not say." The messenger replied. "All that I was told was to deliver it."

"Then I shall read it this evening. You are dismissed." Sui-Feng waved him off and he left. Quickly she placed the envelope on her desk and left, not wanting to squander what time the medication gave her.


	3. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER:** The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

I've changed the genres of this story to better reflect it's actual content. Before, I was just trying to drive home the fact that this is not a story meant to be taken seriously. It's inspired by Mortal Kombat, which is founded upon straight-faced nonsense.

I've always liked the idea of Yoruichi not knowing how to cope with death. Actually, I think that all Shinigami would have issues with death, but that's something for another time.

I'm really getting fucking sick and tired of all the random bullshit this site will do to your formatting. If I have to put up with much more I will abandon it all-together.

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><p>She didn't know what she was going to say to her. They haven't spoken since Sokyoku Hill. She didn't even know if they were friends or enemies. And yet she felt compelled to talk to her.<p>

There was tightness in her chest. A different kind of tightness than that which she had grown accustom to. It wasn't pain, it was nerves. She couldn't remember the last time she had ever been anxious.

She had long since removed the clock from the room, its ticking was driving her to madness, but she could tell by the angle of the sun out of the window that is was nearing noon, the time she had specified in her message. She had sent a jigokucho after the woman, so she had no idea if she had accepted the invitation or not. All she could do was nurse her tea and wait.

By her estimate, it was close to one before she finally heard the coarse scraping of the shoji to her office opening. Had it been anyone else other than Yoruichi, she would have scolded herself for not hearing the footsteps. But she knew better than to expect that kind of forewarning from the Shunshin.

"Sorry about the wait," Yoruichi slid the door closed behind her. "You know what a bureaucratic mess Nobles can be." As she turned, Sui-Feng watched her expression change. As she set her eyes upon Sui-Feng, Yoruichi's face dropped from a relaxed smirk to a tense examination, her eyes coming to rest on the remains of Sui-Feng's left arm. Sui-Feng didn't know how much she knew about the state of the Gotei 13 after the War, but the change in expression lead Sui-Feng to surmise that she at least didn't know about her condition. "You…wanted to talk to me?" The tone in Yoruichi's voice changed as well. Sui-Feng allowed herself to believe she heard concern.

"I," It took a moment for Sui-Feng to summon up the breath to continue, "Received a message for the Feng elders several days ago." She took a sip from her tea, mostly to give herself some time to think. "They…want to use me as a prototype for a new program. They call it the Cyber Initiative." Yoruichi gave her a puzzled, almost mystified look. "They want to use me as a prototype for cyberzation, to see if they can successfully create a cyborg from a Shinigami."

"You're joking?" Yoruichi didn't quite let Sui-Feng finish.

"That was my response at first." Sui-Feng replied. "But I've seen the plans and schematics that have been drawn up."

"And you told them no, right?" Yoruichi stated, not questioned.

"I accepted." Sui-Feng corrected. "I had no choice."

"You're the head of the Clan!" Yoruichi's voice rose. "They can't demand something like this from you!"

"I relinquished my control over the Feng House after the War," Sui-Feng responded quietly. "I'm in no condition to be the head of a Clan, or anything." Her voiced tired at the thought.

"Then leave." Yoruichi placed her hands on her hips. "We'd be happy to take you in." Sui-Feng didn't know if "we" were the Shihoins or her and Urahara. Not that it mattered.

"I'm dying, Yoruichi." Sui-Feng said flatly. It was the first time she had ever stated the fact aloud, and yet it came much easier than she thought it would. "I can't stand the thought if dying a complete failure."

"What are you talking about?" Sui-Feng's medicated mind made her ears hear fear in Yoruichi's words.

"I was able to run my divisions in peace time, but when it mattered, I have only failed myself and everyone that put trust in me." Sui-Feng breathed heavily. "I failed to capture you, I was unable to kill Barragan, and I wasn't able to so much as even wound Aizen. I can only hope that my life will finally bear fruit if give myself up to this Initialize."

"That's no-"

"Don't!" Sui-Feng sat up quickly before falling back into her chair. She couldn't bear to hear any more condescending rationalizations and condolences, especially from Yoruichi.

As Sui-Feng sat there across from Yoruichi, she could feel the distance between them grow. It was as if she was behind a wall of glass, able to observe, but completely cut off.

"You seem to have your mind made up," Yoruichi finally spoke after a heavy silence. "Why are you telling me this then?" There was no mistaking the tinge of anger in her words. Sui-Feng hesitated for a moment, floundering for a response as she watched Yoruichi shift her weight between her feet rapidly.

"Because," An idea dawned on Sui-Feng. "I want you to resume your command of the Second and Onmitsukido." Yoruichi's stopped moving. "I know that your House has begun the process of reinstating you as the Head. It's only a matter of time before they start pressuring Us to return the Onmistukido to you. It will be easier for everyone if I just hand them to you now." The rhythm of Yoruichi's breath began to increase. "Besides, they need you. I haven't found a replacement and I can't bear to think what will happen if I leave them in Omeada's hands."

"No." Yoruichi shook her head resolutely. "They're your Divisions. They need _you_. You worked hard for them. I'm not going to let you just give them away." She folded her arms, as if to deny to opportunity to place something in her hands. Sui-Feng didn't say anything. She was still composing herself, trying not to appear as drained as her small speech actually left her.

"Well, if that's it then," Yoruichi breathed heavily as her eyes narrowed. "I have work to do." She turned and left, her footsteps loud and rapid.

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><p>It was embarrassing how much Mayuri could get away with right under her nose.<p>

When she arrived to the Twelfth Division on the agreed upon date and time, she was greeted by Nemu, who lead her through the convoluted corridors of the labs and testing faculties back to Mayuri's personal quarters. There, she entered a code into his computer that slid one of the massive stone tablets that made up the floor to the side, revealing a set of stairs that lead to a system of tunnels.

As she followed Nemu further down, the smooth stone walls and brightly lit passages gave way to unlit passages of roughly cut rock and dirt. Sui-Feng had to run her hand along the wall to keep steady as she followed Nemu's dim form though the darkness, her fingers knocking fine granules of dirt and small stones loose and occasionally brushing against wooden beams.

Could Nemu see in this darkness? The passages were winding and the only light came from the occasional hanging bulb in some far off annex. Had she simply memorized the way? Or was she like her master, a human in shape only?

That last though elicited a wry chuckle from Sui-Feng. It wouldn't be too long before she would have no room to make those types of judgments.

Who build these tunnels? Surely it wasn't members of the Twelfth. That would not have gone unnoticed by her spies. Was it the Quincies? Had Mayuri not only experimented on them, but enslaved them as well?

"Please try to keep up." Nemu's voice was as soft and distant as her silhouette. The dank and moldy air was hard on her weak lungs. Her already slow gait had almost become a crawl. "Mayuri-sama does not like to be kept waiting."

There were no acknowledgement of her rank in Nemu's words, not that Sui-Feng expected any. She wore no haori, for she was no longer a Captain, though the cold, damp air made her wish she had worn something more than backless uniform. She officially resigned for position the day prior, leaving her Divisions in Omeada's hands since he had been unable to find a permanent replacement for her.

It wasn't fear or apprehension that slowed Sui-Feng's feet. She had already come to terms with her fate. It was the dank, musty air that was hampering her progress. The pain already made it difficult for Sui-Feng to breathe, and the stale air was only compounding the problem.

Taking more mold into her lungs, Sui-Feng pushed herself after Nemu's faint form. If she had the breath, she would have asked how much farther they had to travel. It wasn't long after that though entered her mind that she saw Nemu halt. There was a clicking of keys, and then the squeaking and grinding of gears. Sui-Feng had to shield her eyes as the door moved to the side.

"Nemu!" Once Sui-Feng's eyes adjusted to the sudden flood of light they were greeted with the site of a very angry Mayuri holding Nemu by her hair and shaking her violently, his golden teeth barred. "You were supposed to bring her here a half hour ago!"

"My-My deepest apologies, Mayuri-sama!" Nemu's normally placid face was contorted in pain.

In reality, their late arrival was all Sui-Feng's fault. She could no longer move around the Sereitei like she once could and the Twelfth had the largest and most complex faculties of all the divisions. She was far too proud to accept Nemu's offer to carry her, so the journey through the Twelfth took four times as long as it likely should have. Yet Nemu offer her no responsibility, so she took none.

"Just go finish the preparations!" He shoved her roughly, sending her staggering into an adjoined room. Once she was gone, he turned his attention to Sui-Feng. "This is one of those…rare instances where I feel compelled to thank someone." His voice was hauntingly even, betraying none of the rage he displayed mere seconds before. "Ever since the circumstances surrounding Aizen and the Hogyoku were fully disclosed, my researching and experimenting severely limited." That last word dripped with contempt.

Sui-Feng didn't respond with anything other than a faint grunt. Her attention has focused on the room she was in. It was a small room by most standards, with very little room to walk around. It was just as poorly lit as the rest of the tunnels, which made it difficult for her to make out the various implements and devices that adorned the walls and tables around the edge of the room.

What she could clearly see, however, was the room's center piece; a large stone table supported on thick metal legs. The surface of the stone was hewn with the rudimentary shape of a person. The indention sloped towards the center, where there was a hole. On the ends were thick straps attached to manacles, the same type the Kanritai used to negate the reiatsu of the criminals they detained. Beneath the hole, on the tiled ground, was a grate. The entire surface of the stone was stained a deep carmine. She knew it was a stain because she could see how far it was absorbed into the stone from the edges.

It was then that the first shivers of fear ran through Sui-Feng. Seeing his sacrificial alter made her question what type of man had she had forfeited her life to.

"Move faster you cow!" Sui-Feng was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of Mayuri's insult. She turned her head just in time to he him strike Nemu, dragging his sharp fingernails across her face leaving deep gashes. She fell, dropping the tray she held in her hands with a loud rattle, which scattered its contents across the floor. "Clean it up!" He kicked her before turning back to Sui-Feng.

"I fear if we wait for her, you'll be dead before she finished the preparations." Mayrui spoke without humor. "I can at least begin the preliminary preparations for the operation while I wait." Sui-Feng nodded. She saw Nemu out of the corner of her eye moving boxes around. The wounds on her face already closed. "Now strip down and get up on the table."

Sui-Feng complied with little hesitation. Her scarred, mangled body was hardly something worth hiding. It took considerable effort, but she managed to push herself up onto the table, which stood almost at shoulder level with her. Once she was up, Mayuri moved to place her wrists in the restraints, but stopped short upon seeing her protesting glare.

"Nerves have a nasty habit of causing reactions, even when the subject is heavily sedated." Mayrui stated calmly. "It's one thing to be slapped by an old Quincy, but even in your current state, a blow from you is something I would rather like to avoid." Sighing, Sui-Feng submitted.

Once Mayrui was satisfied that she was no longer a threat to his safety, he reached for a needle and vial on the counter behind him. Plunging the needle past the rubber opening on the cap, he filled it full with the fluid within. It was a strange green serum, unlike anything she had ever seen before.

"Now the, any last words?" Mayrui asked as he flicked the air bubbles out of the syringe. Sui-Feng didn't reply. "Good. It's not as if I would have told them to anyone anyway." He said before plunging the needle into a vein in her wrist.


	4. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER:** The rights to all copyrighted material mention henceforth in this document are owned by their respective owners.

So this took a while, but I'm not going to apologize for my lack of updates. Things came up that took precedence over writing fanfiction and those things don't look to be going away any time soon. I'm not going to lay out a time table or make promises I can't keep. All I'm going to say is that _Ever Time I Make a Girl Cry_ **will** get finished. Beyond that, who knows. But I am going to finish that fic.

Since my last update I've set up a Tumblr. I'm SoldierG65434-2 on there was well, so if you care you already know how to find me (I can't link you there directly or else I would). I'm going to cross-post fic updates there as well as on Team YoruSoi. Because of this I'm going to eventually phase out ANs. I've never cared for them, I find them intrusive and distracting, but only used them as a necessary way to communicate with my readers en mass. Now that I have two means of doing that, and in greater detail no less, I'm going to stop posting ANs here short of any gravley important news that everyone needs to know or give credit where it is due. So if are interested in any supplemental information related to my updates, follow my on Tumblr. I mostly use Team YoruSoi to discuss the actual content so if that's more your thing than sign up there.

Shoutouts to Mr. Kahn for helping me out on one part of you haven't read any of their stuff yet, you really should. It's all pretty great.

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><p>Silence was a central tenant of the Feng Clan. It was more than a mere aversion to wasting words. Success and failure, life and death, could be determined by a pained grunt or an exhausted pant. The ability to keep quite was so important that every Feng took a vow of silence at some point, not only to train themselves in nonverbal communication, but also to train them to cope with the mental side-effects of prolonged silence.<p>

Which was why the low murmur that wafted through the grounds was so surprising.

The day had begun normally enough, with the apprentice assassins waking at the usual pre-dawn time to the harsh greetings of their tutors. However, their instructors weren't as strict and focused as they normally were. They seemed more concerned with talking amongst themselves than disciplining improper technique on a sword-thrust or sloppy stance. Rumor's quickly followed, rumors too outlandish to not give voice.

The first vow was broken not long after morning. It was a young Clan member, still learning kendo. He had overheard his teacher talking with another about something that was supposed to happen later today. They didn't know what it was, specifically, but he had overhead them speculating that it was the cause of renouncements of two branches of the Clan.

Later still, more were speaking up about what they had heard. Some spoke of forbidden magics being used and others heard talk of Mayrui Kurotsuchi's involvement. One had heard that they would be shown the future of the Feng Clan today while others heard they would bear witness to its demise.

Not long after the afternoon meal was finished, the toll of a bell echoed though the Feng grounds. It was a deep, brassy sound that reverberated in your ears and your chest. Quickly, anxiously, nervously the Feng Clan congregated at the proving grounds.

In the middle of the Feng compound was a large, square stone slab surrounded on all four sides by raised rows for seating. The stone slab was made of sekiseki stone, which created a reaitsu-stopping sphere around it so that the combatants on display could fight to their fullest without the risk of harming the spectators.

The members of the Feng Clan made no attempts to hide their curiosity as they filed into the seating. The proving grounds were not meant to seat the entire Clan at once, so those that had not been fortunate enough to arrive early were left to stand around the base of the seats, craning their necks to see over the raised platform.

The low mumble of the day steadily grew into a dull roar as more and more assembled. The seniors Clan members made no attempt to quite their subordinates or themselves. The excitement of the moment was infectious.

Silence finally descended upon the Feng Clan in the wake of the growing warmth of a gong. Behind the northward facing seats was a large pavilion that housed a large throne for the Clan Elder. Next to the throne was a ceremonial gong used for signaling the beginnings of matches as well as simply drawing attention.

Slowly, with heavy, deliberate steps, the Clan elder took his seat overlooking the proving ground, his frowning mouth obscured by his thick white moustache and beard which gently swayed in the breeze. On either side of him hung thick banners embroidered with the Feng crest.

In the silence, a faint sound could be heard. It was a quiet, metallic clacking, almost like the flat of a sword being rhythmically slapped against stone. It grew louder with each repetition, until it was overtaken by shocked gasps and hurried whispers.

Down the central causeway that leads to the center stage of the grounds strode three figures. In the center of them was Huang Feng, a member of the Feng council easily identified by his hairless head. To his left, walking in a hurried manner pushing a cart piled with many foreign instruments and devices, was a Shinigami whose robes indicating that he was from the Twelfth Division. Everyone's attentions, however, were focused on the third figure.

It stood only slightly past his shoulder, though its diminutive height did little to lessen its imposing presence. It was humanoid in shape, standing upright with two arms and two legs and a head upon its shoulders. Its body was encased in scoured metal plates that had been tinted a deep red. Its feet were molded and cast in the form of tabi. Thick metal rose up to its knees, where they were joined to its armored thighs by a heavy hinge, which lead upward to steel hips of a vaguely feminine proportion. The abdomen was covered in horizontal plates that allowed for bending while still providing protection and the chest was encased in heavy metal formed in the faint shape of a bust, a thin black line running down the middle signifying a break. On the plates of her back were four jets, two on each shoulder blade and two on either side of the spine in the small of her back. Thicker armor made for pronounced biceps and forearms, with a display built into the left forearm. The plating on the hands was lighter, with gaps at all the joints of the hands to allow for full mobility. Its head was encased in a helmet with an impassive, featureless face with only two slits that house glowing blue eyes. Any gaps between the armor revealed thick, black, tubing and a rubbery material and out of the base if its head hung two cables that ended in heavy steel rings.

As they arrived at the edge of the central platform the member of the Twelfth split from the other two, pushing his cart to the side and fiddling with the instruments as Huang and the automaton hoisted themselves onto the stage.

"Identify yourself." Huang commanded the figure next to him once they arrived in the middle.

"I am LK-5F0." The deep, tinny voice reverberated from inside it.

"This," He motioned to the figure next to him. "Is Shaolin Feng." The whispers started again, but Huang paid them no mind. "Surely you all are painfully aware of the grievous injuries our former leader sustained in the battle against Aizen and his cohorts." There were knowing nods. "Her injuries were so severe that they forced her to step down as the Clan leader."

"However!" Huang began to pace around the armored woman. "Her service to the Clan did not end there. Courageously, she volunteered herself to be the prototype of the next generation of Feng warriors." There was uncomfortable shifting and nervous glances in the crowd. "Who among you has the courage to test their mettle against your former leader?"

"I do." The nervousness gave way to shock as a figure step out from the crowd, orange jacket contrasting sharply with the drab robes around her.

"Shihoin-dono?" Huang breathed at the sight of the heiress. "To what occasion do we owe the honor of your presence?" He regained his composure quickly.

"I heard you guys were up to something." Yoruichi responded. "I thought I would check in and see what the fuss was about." Despite her words, her voice was flat and serious.

"We were just about to begin tests on Sui-Feng's cybernetic enchantments." Huang replied, putting a great emphasis on her code name. "Please, take a seat next to the Elder and we will beg-"

"No," She cut him off. "I want to test her myself. I'm in a better position than anyone to gauge whether or not there's been any change in her abilities. And besides," Her look sharpened. "If these things are going to be serving under the Shihoins, I want to be certain that they are worthy."

"Very well," Huang offered no protest and left the stage, walking to the side of the Shingami from the twelfth.

"Sir," He spoke up hesitantly, "I don't think it's smart to have her first fight be against someone so powerful."

"There will be much more powerful foes in the future." Huang rebutted. "If she fails here, then we must take things back to the beginning." He spoke slowly, a small smile growing on his face.

Four guards appeared, taking up a post at the corners of the raised platform, spears in hand. They were meant to prevent anyone from trying to escape, but their presence today was largely symbolic. There was no way they could stop Yoruichi from fleeing if she choose.

Silently, one of the Clan members that stood watch next to the Elder produced a large mallet, topped with a fur head, and slammed it against the gong. At the same time, the switches were thrown and the creation was activated.

"Safeties disabled," Sui-Feng's whole body jerked and shuddered. "Combat mode engaged."

"You're really going to fight me, Sui?" Yoruichi shook her head sadly as she watched her former student and friend take up and offensive stance.

"Your face is not a part of my database." Sui-Feng spoke, voice devoid of any emotion. Yoruichi was taken aback momentarily at the response, but smiled faintly.

"Well, that'll make things easier on both of us!" She punctuated the sentence with a fierce roundhouse kick aim directly at the head of her opponent.

The blow did not reach the intended destination, however. Faster than Yoruichi had been able to perceived, Sui-Feng raised one of her hands, blocking the blow. She did not flinch, the force of the kick being absorbed perfectly by her augmented body.

Before Sui-Feng could ready a counter, Yoruichi cartwheeled backwards, wincing as she came to a stop on her bruised calf. Slowly, the combatants circled each other. While Yoruichi's trained eyes searched for any hints of her former comrade behind the metal and wires, Sui-Feng's were taking in data about her attacker. Muscle movements, reiatsu flow, and breathing rates were all being analyzed by the software that now controlled every part of her.

Letting out an impatient growl, Yoruichi launched another attack. Her fists were a flurry of blows, rapidly striking out Sui-Feng. The attacks were too rapid, too wild and random for her to deflect them all. Yoruichi withdrew as quickly as she came, the smirk on her face giving way as she realized that her attacks had left no visible damage or marks in Sui-Feng's armor.

As Yoruichi stood, flexing her fingers in an attempt to deaden the pain in them, Sui-Feng finished her analysis. Now that she no longer needed to gather any more data, she launched an attack of her own.

It was so fast that Yoruichi couldn't even see it. Her only defenses against the metal fists were desperate flails trying to block them. Even with her prodigious reiatsu hardening her defenses, the blows still hurt tremendously, doubling her over and knocking the air from her lungs.

Sui-Feng ended her assault with a kick to the chest that sent Yoruichi flying across the stage, landing flat on her back. Inelegantly, Yoruichi stood back up, coughing up a bit of blood as she did. The confusion and fear in her golden eyes was plainly visible.

After a few deep gulps to refill her lungs, Yoruichi assumed a more defensive posture. The heave metal made reading her attackers movements impossible, and there was something built into her that masked her reiatsu completely, denying Yoruichi even that.

Yoruichi's, however, was fully on display and flaring wildly. Spotting an obvious weak spot, Sui-Feng sprung, stopping just short of Yoruichi. Balling her fist, she lunged it underhand directly towards the woman's stomach.

Smirking, Yoruichi grabbed for the arm, surprised that Sui-Feng fell for such an obvious trap. Her fingers immediately and involuntarily wrapped around the limb as soon as they came in contact with it, a searing pain coursing through her. Underneath the metal were hundreds of electrodes, creating thousands of volts of electricity. The shock caused Yoruichi to lose control of her muscles, rendering her unable to do anything as the electrified fist collided with her stomach, causing her to convulse and crumple.

As Yoruichi's vision fell she saw a white pool form at Sui-Feng mechanical feet and the cyborg silently fell into it. Though she didn't know it, the pool was a miniature Senkaimon, dropping Sui-Feng down into the Dangai. As soon as her feet touched the floor of the precipice world, she launched herself upwards, arm locked and fist clenched, the jets on her back firing to increase her speed.

A second Senkaimon opened behind Yoruichi just as the first closed. Sui-Feng came roaring out of it and delivered a savage, rocket propelled uppercut that sent Yoruichi flying straight into the air. Sui-Feng landed and caught the falling woman on her raised knee. The force propelled Yoruichi forward enough for Sui-Feng to follow up with a kick from her other leg that sent her careening towards the seated spectators.

She did not reach them though because as soon as she delivered the kick, Sui-Feng dropped into another Senkaimon and came out behind Yoruichi, the punch this time sending Yoruichi flying in the opposite direction and into the ground.

Yoruichi did not stay there for long. Pushing her body harder than she ever remember, he used Shunpo to get behind Sui-Feng, hoping to do some sort of damage to her skull. Just before her pointed attack could reach Sui-Feng's head, Yoruichi was stopped by a wall of flames. She rolled out of the way, but not before the lapping tongues caught one of her writs warmers ablaze. The flames source was two nozzles attached to the tops of Sui-Feng's wrists, a few hot drips of fuel falling from them as the flames ceased.

Covering her approach, the battered woman swung her leg out launching several kunai at Sui-Feng, all which bounced off her armor harmlessly. She ran again at Sui-Feng, swiping her blazing wrist at her, but Sui-Feng stopped it easily. She swung her other fist, but it too was effortlessly halted. After the two blows were stopped a bright white light began to emanate from the gap in her chest plates. Throwing her arms to the side, her chest opened and released a blast of energy that sent Yoruichi head over heels across the grounds.

Yoruichi knew the energy all too well. It was Shunko. But it had been a more concentrated and controlled burst than even she was capable of. Before she could gather her thoughts further, she was forced to move as Sui-Feng released another bolt of Shunko from her chest. She bounded across the arena as the bolts detonated, some in the ground and other against the dome created by the sekiseki stone.

"I didn't want it to have to come to this, Sui-Feng." Yoruichi shouted once the assault stopped, throwing the charred and smoldering wrist warmer to the side. "But you've left me with no choice!" Her orange jacket dissolved as bright white energy crackled around her. Poising herself, Yoruichi concentrated the energy at the tips of her finger on one hand. She was going for a killing blow.

Closing the distance between them is less than a blink of an eye, Yoruichi stuck at the center of Sui-Feng's head with lethal ferocity. Sui-Feng raised a hand in defense, flattening her palm parallel to Yoruichi's. All at once, the energy around Yoruichi evaporated, stopping her dead in her tracks. Yoruichi's eyes widened in horror and amazement as the reality of what had happened set in.

Sui-Feng had nullified her Shunko using Kido of the same magnitude but of opposite spin.

Unlike in the past, when their roles were reversed, Sui-Feng did not grab her hand soothingly. Instead, she pressed it into the center of her chest. There was a sharp pain quickly followed by another quick blast of Shunko that pushed Yoruichi into the ground.

Looking up, she could see a long stiletto retracting into a hole in Sui-Feng's palm. On either side of it were to other hole, likely where the jets of Shunko came out of.

Terror seized Yoruichi as she looked down at her wound. A Hamonka had formed on her chest. She tried to move her limbs, to flee as she saw Sui-Feng approaching her, but she was emotionally and physically spent. She had lost. Roughly, Sui-Feng grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground.

"Sui…please…" Yoruichi whimpered, staring into the lifeless visage of the woman that had once been one of her closest friends.

"That's enough, LK-5F0." Huang interrupted. Yoruichi's body slacked. "You've demonstrated your combat capabilities magnificently." He clapped. "There's no need for this to go on any longer. Finish her."

"Wait Sui don't!" Yoruichi pleaded in desperation, but in vain. Sui-Feng raised her palm again and plunged Suzumebachi into Yoruichi's chest for a second time. Yoruichi was unable to even scream as the Hamonka grew and engulfed her. Her body glowed brightly before it disintegrated and sublimated into the air.

The whispers started again as the Feng warriors struggled to comprehend what they had just witnessed. Huang looked around with a pleased smile, watching the Elder's attentive posture and the frantic pointing a gesticulating from his colleges on the council. He let out a hearty chuckle as he watched his naysayers flee hurriedly away from him and his allies come to congratulate him.

The Cyber Initiative was a success.


End file.
